Trump Tells Nation: Core Objectives Nearly Complete — Iran Fires Back Anyway

President Trump told the American people Tuesday night that Iran's navy is gone, its air force lies in ruins, and its nuclear sites have been obliterated. The regime has asked for a ceasefire, according to the president, but his terms remain firm: open the Strait of Hormuz first.

This declaration came in Trump's first primetime address since launching Operation Epic Fury. "Core strategic objectives are nearing completion," he declared.

The president said Iran's maritime force "is gone," its air force "in ruins," and most of its leaders "dead." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the operation was "ahead of schedule" of its original four-to-six week timeline. Trump vowed to strike Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" to complete the mission.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran's president had requested a ceasefire. "We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear," he wrote. "Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"

Iran immediately denied making any ceasefire request. "President Trump's claims that Iran requested a ceasefire are false and baseless," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated on Iranian state TV. The ministry said no decision had been made and it sought "a complete end" to hostilities, not a temporary ceasefire.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since late February, triggering a global energy crisis that has reached American driveways. Brent crude oil surged 5 percent to $106.22 per barrel after Trump's speech, up more than 40 percent since the war began. U.S. average gasoline prices hit $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022.

Families across the country feel the strain at the pump while diplomats argue over waterway control. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps insists the strategic passage remains firmly under its control. "The Strait of Hormuz will certainly be opened; but not for you!" Ebrahim Azizi, head of the National Security Committee of the Iranian Parliament, declared. "For those who follow the new rules of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Trump countered that America doesn't need Hormuz oil, urging dependent nations to "take the lead" in reopening the passage. "We don't need it," he said. "We haven't needed it, and we don't need it."

Hours after Trump's address, Iran fired four missile salvos at Israel in a direct military response. One salvo contained approximately 10 missiles, according to the Times of Israel. Cluster munitions from the attacks injured 14 people in Bnei Brak, including an 11-year-old girl in critical condition.

That child's injury represents just one story in a widening conflict that continues to claim lives on both sides. Iran's military vowed to continue fighting. "The war will continue until the enemy's inevitable and permanent humiliation, disgrace, regret, and surrender," IRGC spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said Thursday.

Behind the public posturing lies a reported 15-point U.S. ceasefire proposal that Iran rejected on March 25. The plan, sent via Pakistan, demanded Iran dismantle nuclear facilities, end support for regional proxies, and reopen Hormuz. In exchange, the U.S. would remove sanctions and support civilian nuclear energy.

Iran countered with its own five-point proposal demanding immediate cessation of attacks, war reparations, formal sovereignty over Hormuz, and guarantees against future attacks. Leavitt acknowledged "elements of truth" in media reports about the U.S. plan but cautioned against "speculative points."

The widening conflict is testing international alliances. Trump called NATO a "paper tiger" and said he was "strongly considering" U.S. withdrawal from the alliance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed concerns about the arrangement, telling Al Jazeera that if NATO only involves "us defending Europe" without reciprocal support, "that's not a very good arrangement."

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Washington next week amid the escalating tensions. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom announced it will host a virtual meeting of 35 countries to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Casualty figures continue to mount with each passing day. Iran's Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told Al Jazeera that at least 1,900 fatalities and nearly 25,000 injured were reported in Iran as of March 27. The U.S. has lost 13 service members, at least 24 Israelis have been killed, and Lebanon counts more than 1,200 killed with over one million displaced.

These numbers represent real families torn apart by a conflict that shows no sign of ending. Iranian military spokesman Zolfaghari dismissed U.S. claims of extensive damage to Iranian military infrastructure. "The centers you think you have targeted are insignificant," he said Wednesday. "Our strategic military productions take place in locations of which you have no knowledge and will never reach."

As markets react to the continued stalemate and military escalation, the fundamental dispute remains unchanged: Trump demands Hormuz opens first, while Iran insists on maintaining control over what it considers sovereign waters. With both sides hardening their positions and military operations continuing, the path to de-escalation appears increasingly narrow.